Crybaby
by Foxy-Badger
Summary: Gillian needs Cal's attention after she and Eva were attacked.


**Title:** Cry Baby  
**Author:** Moonshape  
**Fandom:** Lie To Me  
**Pairing:** Cal/Gillian  
**Rating:** PG/K  
**Word count:** 1056  
**Spoilers:** Spoilers for S02E16  
**Summary:** Gillian needs Cal's attention after she and Ava were attacked.**  
Disclaimer:** Story is mine. Cal Lightman, Gillian Foster and Lie to me belong to FOX

* * *

'_Well you're supposed to be the sensible one, you know.'_

'_Yeah, and you're supposed to take unnecessary risks.' _

'_Well not when it comes to you.'_

Ava had left, so Cal had send Torres home. There was nothing they could do right now and they all needed to rest. Ava was independent enough to last through the night – he hoped.

So when Torres left, Cal turned back to Gillian, who needed his attention the most right now.

'Come,' he said as he placed his hand on her back. 'Sit down with me, luv,' and he gestured her to the sitting room. 'I'll make you some tea.'

He boiled water and poured two steaming mugs. He dipped the teabags into the water, making his own tea a lot stronger than hers. He liked his tea strong and bitter. He took the mugs to the sitting room, where he found Gillian on the settee

'They were kids, Cal,' Gillian sobbed as she took the mug Cal was offering her. 'Kids!'

'And I think I know who's kids,' Cal replied as he first set his mug down on the coffee table before he took off his coat and dropped it down over the back of the settee. 'But we need proof,' he added as he sat down as well. He had his theories about whom those kids were and who was behind it, but he couldn't prove anything right now. First, they'd have to find Ava again before they could make assumptions or accusations.

'Oh God, Cal,' Gillian continued sobbing. 'Why is this h-happening? Why kids?'

Gillian always had a weakness for kids. She desperately wanted to be a mother of a kid just to care for. Cal sometimes even caught her giving Emily motherly advice. If someone deserved to be a mother, it was Gillian.

'I don't know, luv,' Cal admitted as he shook his head in defeat. 'If I did, I could have prevented it.'

His own words made him ponder about the situation. It had been his idea of having Ava stay with Foster. Secretly, he felt relieved he'd taken Ava in. He always did his best to protect Emily from harm and he didn't want to imagine what could have happened to her if he had brought Ava to her house. Torres was right. Those kids had come for that egg that Ava had been carrying around. But he felt angry with himself for thinking this way. He cared for Gillian too, and never wanted her to get harmed either.

And he felt guiltier as he watched Gillian sob next to him. Again it showed how vulnerable she was and it scared him. He had tried to make himself believe she would be fine in potential dangerous situations, but he still worried about her. And his fears became real when something did happen to her.

'I'm so sorry this had to happen again, luv,' Cal said, hesitating but placing his hand on her back.

But again, Gillian smiled through her tears.

'You're the one who gets beaten up all the time. Feel lucky it wasn't you for once.'

'I'm not,' he said and shook his head and took her hand in his. 'Don't think like that, Foster. I never plan it either.'

'Why don't I believe that,' Gillian said as she brushed a tear away, chuckling with sarcasm.

Cal chuckled once, shaking his head.

'It was my idea to have Ava stay with you, Foster.'

She placed her hand on his arm and squeezed it gently.

'This is the risk we all would have taken.'

'I told you I didn't want to take risks when it involved you.'

There was a short silence in which they looked at each other for a long time, before Cal forced himself to speak. He felt the suspense between them but didn't grant it his attention. There had been suspense between them for years and he always tried hard to push that awkwardness away. He knew what he wanted but knew it would never happen. His gift forbade him that.

'Drink your tea, luv,'

As she drank, he looked at her eyes. Dark creases underneath her eyes showed her fatigue. Her eyes itself were red and watery from all the crying she had done. She needed rest.

'You need to sleep,' he said as she placed her mug down on the coffee table.

'Stay please,' she pleaded, taking his hand and holding it firmly.

'What?' Cal gaped at her.

'Please, Cal. Just – stay.'

He examined her face for a moment. He saw a lot of emotion on it, but not as if she was intending anything – she just looked afraid.

'Of course,' he assured her with a smile. 'Of course I will.'

She smiled thankfully, wrapping her arms around his neck to embrace him. She kissed him on his cheek and placed her forehead on his shoulder. They just held each other for a long time; their bond allowed it without making it seem intimate.

She soon fell asleep, so Cal let her. Her head was resting on a pillow on his lap because she had been unable to stay upright.

He was caught by fatigue as well, and his head often dropped down on his chest, only to lift it up again in shock in the same second. He even once caught himself with his head cocked backwards, his mouth slightly open. He started as a mild snore-like gurgle erupted from his throat.

It was then when he decided he should go to bed.

So as careful as he could, he lifted her head up from his lap, turning her body so he could cradle her in his arms. He carried her to her bedroom, where he gently placed her down on the bed. She moaned and rolled onto her side, her hair falling over her face. Cal reached out and gently brushed it out of her face and she responded by nuzzling the side of her face deeper into the pillow. He took her shoes off and covered her with the duvet. As last, he turned her alarm clock off. She needed a good night's rest.

Although he had promised to stay, he didn't. This case was not yet solved and he would not rest until he had caught the culprits who had invaded Gillian Foster's house.


End file.
